Bleed wrench

ABSTRACT

For use with a bleed valve having a rotatable element controlling fluid discharge through an axial passage, a hand wrench having a shaft with a socket at one end for gripping the valve element and a bore extending from the socket axially through the shaft for conducting fluid discharged from the valve. At the outlet end of the bore, the shaft is shaped to form a nipple for attachment of a conduit. Rods are secured to the shaft and extend at right angles therefrom to provide a handle for turning the wrench. A resilient annular seal is fitted into an enlarged inner portion of the socket for engaging the face of the valve element to prevent leakage during use of the wrench.

United States Patent [191 Wittmann [451 Dec. 24, 1974 [75] Inventor:

' BLEED WRENCH Raymond H. Wittmann, Bay Shore, NY.

[73] Assignee: Sid Harvey Manufacturing Co., Inc.,-

Garden City, NY.

[22] Filed: Apr. 4, 1973 21] Appl. No.: 347,671

[52] U.S. Cl 81/121 R [51] int. Cl B25b 13/48 [58] Field of Search... 81/53 R, 121 R, 125,177 D,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,477,864 8/1949 DElusua 81/53 R X 2,644,548 7/1953 Schiemann 137/327 X Primary ExaminerAl Lawrence Smith Assistant ExaminerJames G. Smith Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Cooper, Dunham, Clark, Griffin & Moran 57] ABSTRACT For use with a bleed valve having a rotatable element controlling fluid discharge through an axial passage, a hand wrench having a shaft with a socket at one end for gripping the valve element and a bore extending from the socket axially through the shaft for conducting fluid discharged from the valve. At the outlet end of the bore, the shaft is shaped to form a nipple for attachment of a conduit. Rods are secured to the shaft and extend at right angles therefrom to provide-a handle for turning the wrench. A resilient annular seal is fitted into an enlarged inner portion of the socket for engaging the face of the valve element to prevent leakage during use of the wrench.

4 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures BLEED WRENCH BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to tools, herein termed bleed wrenches, having special utility for opening valves of a type having a rotatable head controlling fluid discharge through a passage coaxial with the head.

By way of specific illustration, in conventional fuel pumps as commonly employed with household oil burners, there is provided a bleed valve which must be opened from time to time for maintenance purposes, to effect discharge of fluid from the interior of the pump. This bleed valve has a rotatable head with a configuration e.g., hexagonal) selected to facilitate gripping and turning of the head by a tool. The discharge passage of the valve extends axially through the head and opens at the outer surface of the head. I-Ieretofore, difficulty has been encountered in operating a bleed valve of the type described and in conducting the discharged fluid away from the valve orifice.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved hand tool for operating a bleed valve of the type described above, adapted to facilitate both turning of the valve head and conduct of discharged fluid (i.e., liquid and/or gas) away from the valve orifice.

To this and other ends, the invention contemplates the provision of a wrench comprising a rigid shaft having an axial bore, an enlarged first end forming a socket aligned with the bore, and a second end shaped to form a nipple to be gripped by a flexible tube or like conduit; a resilient annular seal inserted into the inner part of the socket; and handle means fixedly secured to the shaft for effecting manual turning of the shaft about the axis thereof. The outer portion of the socket is shaped to receive and grip a valve head (e.g., of hexagonal or other readily grippable configuration) so that turning of the wrench effects turning of the valve head to open the valve. The shaft bore, extending from the socket through the nipple conducts discharge fluid from the valve orifice (which is disposed centrally of the head) to a flexible discharge tube or other conduit fitted over the nipple. The seal, engaging the valve head inserted in the socket, prevents leakage of the discharging fluid.

Thus, with the tool of the present invention, operation of a bleed valve is readily accomplished by simply fitting the tool socket over the valve head (after attachment of a flexible tube to the nipple of the tool) and turning the tool to open the valve. The discharged fluid, e.g., including fuel oil, is cleanly and safely conducted away from the valve through the bore of the tool and the tube attached thereto. 1

As a further feature of the invention, the socket is divided into an outer portion shaped'to grip the valve head. and an inner portion which is wider than the outer portion so that an inwardly facing shoulder is ing annular sealing surface (at the inner end of the socket outer portion) for bearing against an inserted valve head.

The handle means preferably comprises a pair of rods fixedly secured to the shaft on opposite sides thereof, and extending from the shaft in opposite directions perpendicular to the shaft axis. Preferably, a locally thickened portion is provided in the shaft adjacent the outlet or nipple end, and the handle rods are inserted into (and secured within) transverse sockets formed in this thickened portion. The shaft is a unitary integral body of metal; provision of this thickened portion for attachment of the handle rods enhances the strength of connection between the handle and the shaft.

Further features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the detailed description hereinbelow set forth together with the accompanying drawing.

' BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a tool embodying the present invention in a particular form;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged elevational'view, partly in sec- DETAILED DESCRIPTION The invention will be described as embodied in a hand tool or wrench for operating a bleed valve of the type commonly used in fuel pumps for oil burners. Specifically, the illustrated embodiment of the invention is adapted for use with-a bleed valve having a rotatable hexagonal headcontrolling fluid discharge through a passage that opens axially of the head.

As seen in FIG. 1, the tool 10 embodying the invention is a unitary, effectively integral structure fabricated of ,a suitable metal (e.g., steel), and includes an axially rectilinearshaft 11. having a thickened intermediate portion 12in which are mounted two rods 14 serving as handles for the tool. The rods 14 extend coaxially (and perpendicular to the shaft axis) in opposite directions from respectively opposite sides of the thickened portion 12. As best seen in FIG. 2, the handle rods 14 are respectively inserted in opposed transverse sockets IS drilled in the thickened portion 12.

As also best seen in FIG. 2, the shaft has an axial bore 16 and is enlarged at one end 17 to form asocket 18 coaxial with and communicating with the bore 16. The outer portion 18a of this socket has a cross section shaped and dimensioned to grippingly engage the rotatable valve head of a bleed valve. In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, the configuration of socket portion 18a is generally hexagonal, for receiving and gripping the hexagonal valve head 20 of a bleed valve 21 shown schematically in broken lines in FIG. 2.

The inner portion 18b of socket 18 is wider (i.e., larger in diameter) than socket portion 18a, so that an inwardly facing shoulder 18c is formed between the outer and inner socket portions. A resilient annular seal 23 is inserted within socket portion 18b and there retained by the shoulder 180.

The seal 23 has an outer diameter larger than that of socket portion 18a (so as to be retainable by the shoulder within portion 18b) and has an inner diameter smaller than the diameter of socket portion 18a. Thus the seal presents an outwardly facing annular sealing surface 230 at the inner extremity of the outer socket portion 18a. When socket portion 18a receives a valve head 20, the face of the valve head abuts sealing surface 23a to prevent leakage of fluid discharged through the axially disposed valve orifice 24. The seal 23 is made of a material inert to the fluids discharged from valves from which the tool is used. Specifically, for use with a fuel oil pump bleed valve, the material of the seal is selected to be inert with respect to fuel oil. Suitable materials for the seal, in such case, are halogenated hy-' drocarbon polymers, especially polyvinyl chloride and copolymers thereof, and polyvinylidene chloride and copolymers thereof.

At the end of shaft 11 remote fromsocket 18, the shaft has a slightly enlarged portion 25 constituting a nipple (through which bore 16 opens) for facilitating attachment of a rubber tube or like flexible conduit 27 to the tool. The nipple constitutes-an annular flange formed integrally with and projecting outwardly from this end of the shaft 11, and providing an external, inwardly facing shoulder 25a over which the tube can be fitted.'-As shown in broken lines in FIG. 2, one end of tube 27 is stretched over the nipple 25 so as to grip the nipple, thereby forming an effective fluid-tight connection between the tube 27 and the tool 10.

In use of the tool, the tube 27 is first connected to the nipple 25 as shown, and the socket 18 is then placed over the head 20 of a bleed valve 21 so that the head is received within the outer socket portion 18a. Manual turning of the tool, by means of the handles 14, rotates the head 20 to open the bleed valve so that fluid (liquid and/or gas) is discharged therefrom'through the axial opening 24. Although the socket portion 18a is necessarily somewhat larger than the head 20 to provide clearance for insertion of the head in the socket, the outer face of the inserted head is engaged by surface 23a of seal 23 to prevent leakage of the discharging fluid around the head in the socket.

Fluid thus discharged passes from opening 24 through the bore 16 of shaft 11 and thence through the connected tube 27 to any desired discharge locality. Upon completion of the. bleeding operation, the tool is simply rotated in reverse direction to retighten the valve and removed.

While a hexagonal head and socket 180 are illustrated, the tool may be adapted for use with beads of other shapes by providing the outer socket portion 18a with an appropriate configuration conforming to such other shapes.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the features and embodiments hereinabove specifically set forth but may be carried out in other ways without departure from its spirit.

I claim:

1. For use with a bleed valve or the like having a rotatable and externally grippable valve head controlling discharge of fluid through an orifice disposed axially of the head, a wrench comprising a. a rigid, integral axially rectilinear shaft having i. an axial bore,

ii. an enlarged first end forming a socket coaxial with and communicating with said bore, said socket including an outer portion shaped to receive and grip said valve head for rotation therewith, and

iii. a second end shaped to form a nipple adapted to be gripped by a flexible tube or the like, said bore opening axially through said nipple;

b. a resilient annular seal fitted snugly within said socket and having an outwardly facing annular sealing surface offset inwardly from the outer extremity of said socket for bearing against a valve head inserted in said socket; and

c. handle means, fixedly securedto the shaft and extending laterally from the shaft at right angles thereto intermediate said socket and said nipple, for effecting manual turning of said shaft about the axis thereof to turn a valve head receivedwithin said socket for opening said valve, said bore being adapted to conduct fluid discharged from said valve to a tube secured to said nipple;

d. said socket further including an inner portion wider than said outer portion such that an inwardly facing shoulder is formed in the socket at the junction of the outer and inner portions, said inner portion terminating inwardly in an outwardly facing surface through which said bore opens, said lastmentioned surface being spaced inwardly from said shoulder; 1

e. said seal having an outer diameter greater than that of said outer socket .portion and an inner diameter smaller than that of said outersocket portion, said seal being inserted within said inner socket portion and there retained by said shoulder, said seal further having an axial dimension about equal to the spacing between said shoulder and said outwardly facing surface of said inner socket portion for fitting snugly between said shoulder and said lastmentioned surface.

2. A wrench as defined in claim 1, wherein said seal is fabricated of a halogenated hydrocarbon polymer.

3. A wrench as defined in claim 1, wherein said shaft is a unitary and axially rectilinear metal member having a thickened portion intermediate its ends, having formed therein opposed sockets opening transversely of the shaft axis, and wherein said handle means comprises a pair of rods respectively fixedly mounted in said transversely opening sockets of said shaft thickened portion and extending inopposite directions from said shaft along a common axis perpendicular to the shaft axis.

4. A wrench as defined in claim 3, wherein said nipple comprises an enlarged flange formed at said second end of said shaft-and defining an external, inwardly facing shoulder over which a resilient tube may be grippingly fitted. 

1. For use with a bleed valve or the like having a rotatable and externally grippable valve head controlling discharge of fluid through an orifice disposed axially of the head, a wrench comprising a. a rigid, integral axially rectilinear shaft having i. an axial bore, ii. an enlarged first end forming a socket coaxial with and communicating with said bore, said socket including an outer portion shaped to receive and grip said valve head for rotation therewith, and iii. a second end shaped to form a nipple adapted to be gripped by a flexible tube or the like, said bore opening axially through said nipple; b. a resilient annular seal fitted snugly within said socket and having an outwardly facing annular sealing surface offset inwardly from the outer extremity of said socket for bearing against a valve head inserted in said socket; and c. handle means, fixedly secured to the shaft and extending laterally from the shaft at right angles thereto intermediate said socket and said nipple, for effecting manual turning of said shaft about the axis thereof to turn a valve head received within said socket for opening said valve, said bore being adapted to conduct fluid discharged from said valve to a tube secured to said nipple; d. said socket further including an inner portIon wider than said outer portion such that an inwardly facing shoulder is formed in the socket at the junction of the outer and inner portions, said inner portion terminating inwardly in an outwardly facing surface through which said bore opens, said last-mentioned surface being spaced inwardly from said shoulder; e. said seal having an outer diameter greater than that of said outer socket portion and an inner diameter smaller than that of said outer socket portion, said seal being inserted within said inner socket portion and there retained by said shoulder, said seal further having an axial dimension about equal to the spacing between said shoulder and said outwardly facing surface of said inner socket portion for fitting snugly between said shoulder and said last-mentioned surface.
 2. A wrench as defined in claim 1, wherein said seal is fabricated of a halogenated hydrocarbon polymer.
 3. A wrench as defined in claim 1, wherein said shaft is a unitary and axially rectilinear metal member having a thickened portion intermediate its ends, having formed therein opposed sockets opening transversely of the shaft axis, and wherein said handle means comprises a pair of rods respectively fixedly mounted in said transversely opening sockets of said shaft thickened portion and extending in opposite directions from said shaft along a common axis perpendicular to the shaft axis.
 4. A wrench as defined in claim 3, wherein said nipple comprises an enlarged flange formed at said second end of said shaft and defining an external, inwardly facing shoulder over which a resilient tube may be grippingly fitted. 